President Yoon's 'Martial Law and Election Fraud Conspiracy Theory': Where Does Its Root Lie?

Yoon "How Can We Trust a Messy System?"
Conservative YouTubers Persistently Claim Election Fraud
When Martial Law Declared, "Real Men"

On the 3rd, martial law troops raided the Gwacheon office of the Central Election Commission (CEC). It was about two minutes after the declaration of martial law. According to CCTV footage revealed on the 6th by members of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, the Justice Innovation Party, and the Basic Income Party, six martial law troops who entered the CEC immediately went to the second-floor computer room. They filmed the integrated registry system servers that manage the early voting lists. Additionally, footage captured them making a phone call while filming.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is delivering a national address at the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 7th. Photo by Yonhap News

President Yoon claimed in a statement on the 12th that there was a possibility of election fraud, including North Korea's hacking attacks on the CEC. He argued, "How can the public trust the election results when the computer system managing the core of democracy?the election?is in disarray?" He cited the 'suspicion of election fraud' as one of the reasons for declaring martial law, stating that he instructed the Minister of National Defense to inspect the CEC's computer system.

President Yoon is known to frequently watch conservative YouTube channels. Conservative YouTuber Lee Bong-gyu once said during the 20th presidential election that "Candidate Yoon Seok-yeol watches my channel even while sleeping."

The influence of prominent conservative YouTubers is beyond imagination. As of the 7th, the representative conservative YouTube channels 'Lee Bong-gyu TV' and 'Shinui Hansu' have 910,000 and 1.52 million subscribers, respectively. The amount of donations they receive is also substantial. According to the YouTube analytics site Playboard, Shinui Hansu received 74,294,948 KRW in donations from November 8th to this month’s 7th, averaging about 2.48 million KRW per day. Conservative YouTube channels with strong influence in the conservative camp have consistently raised suspicions of election fraud whenever conservatives lost elections. Given that President Yoon frequently watches conservative YouTube channels, it is possible he accepted such claims.

Before the 22nd general election, Lee Bong-gyu TV claimed that the Liberty Unification Party, with Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon as an advisor, would produce elected candidates. It also predicted that Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, would lose to former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong in the Incheon Gyeyang-gu district. However, after the conservative camp suffered a crushing defeat in the 22nd general election, they began to claim election fraud.

Mr. Bonggyu Lee, who runs the YouTube channel 'Lee Bonggyu TV,' raised concerns about poor election management and allegations of election fraud in a video titled "How Could This Happen?" posted on April 11. He argued that the early voting system should be abolished. /Source=Lee Bonggyu TV

On April 11th, Lee Bong-gyu TV posted a video titled "How Could This Happen?" In the video, Lee claimed that torn ballots were found in garbage bags in front of the Daegu Nam-gu CEC office. He said, "Whether in Daegu, Gwangju, or Seoul, suspicious things keep coming up," and questioned, "Why should early voting be conducted when it is so controversial?" On October 12th, he uploaded a video titled "Han Dong-hoon and Lee Jae-myung on Alert," stating, "If the election were normal, the conservative camp would win the Seoul Superintendent of Education," and added, "If they lose, it means election fraud occurred by encouraging early voting."

Viewers of this video proposed a solution to the ongoing election fraud suspicions: martial law. After the 22nd general election defeat, comments such as "Mr. President, trust the people and declare martial law" or "The Central Election Commission servers must be investigated" were easily found. These comments received over 100 'likes,' indicating that at least conservative YouTube viewers sympathized with these views.

Viewers of conservative YouTube channels have raised allegations of election fraud following their defeat in the April 22nd general election and are demanding that President Yoon Seok-yeol declare martial law. /Source=Shinuihansu

Shinui Hansu was no different. On April 12th, it raised suspicions of election fraud with a video titled "Shocking News: Ballot Boxes with Open Seals Found! Election Management at an All-Time Low!" According to the video, a ballot box with a torn seal was found at a local counting site, linking it to election fraud suspicions. The host said, "Does such an unfortunate incident happen every time votes are counted? If management issues arise during this general election, they must be corrected."

The comments mirrored those on Lee Bong-gyu TV. Viewers responded, "The president must immediately declare martial law and conduct a search and seizure of the CEC," and "This must be thoroughly investigated and severely punished. If we let this go, South Korea will disappear forever."

Conservative YouTube channels welcomed the news of the martial law declaration. On the 6th of this month, Lee Bong-gyu TV posted a video titled "Success by Striking from the East While Attacking the West: The Real Target Was Securing the CEC Data Server, Yoon’s Fearsome Tactics." Lee analyzed the actions of the martial law troops and suggested that President Yoon considered the CEC more important than the National Assembly, praising him with "Well done." He added, "If the analysis of the (CEC) data reveals how election fraud occurred, the game is over," and said, "President Yoon was listening to what we shouted. He is a real man." Viewers responded with comments like "A genius president. I am moved to tears."

On the 5th, conservative YouTuber Shin Hye-sik expressed a desire for a second declaration of martial law, where supporters of the conservative camp cheered while waving the Taegeukgi and the U.S. flag. / Source=Shinuihansu

They also called for a second declaration of martial law. On the 5th of this month, Shinui Hansu uploaded a video titled "Yoon Seok-yeol to Declare Martial Law Again After Detecting CEC Fraud." Conservative YouTuber Shin Hye-sik spoke loudly into a microphone at a rally in front of Daehanmun Gate at Deoksugung Palace, saying, "President Yoon canceled a special statement because the forensic analysis of the (CEC data) is not yet complete. Once the forensic analysis is finished and evidence emerges, President Yoon will announce a special statement: 'Dear citizens, we have been deceived all this time. The election was also rigged. From now on, I declare a second martial law!'"

President Yoon is expected to emphasize the legitimacy of the martial law declaration by citing suspicions of election fraud during the Constitutional Court impeachment trial. On the 14th, immediately after the impeachment motion was passed, he released a statement saying, "I will never give up," and "I will hold all criticism, encouragement, and support in my heart and do my best for the country until the very last moment."